Conventional flow forging is currently practiced using a very large forging press, which can be as tall as 50 feet above ground level and rated at upwards of 50,000 tons, in conjunction with a matched male and female die system. One major disadvantage of a conventional forging press is the need, following forging, to further machine the forged part into a finished product. Conventional flow forging results in a substantial amount of flash removal and the requirement for machining following forging typically results in a substantial amount of scrap waste. A second major disadvantage of a conventional forging press is the necessity to construct a deep foundation extending as much as 70 feet underneath the forging press to enable the press to apply the desired pressure.
A part forming apparatus for forging a large part from a workpiece in a precise manner is taught and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,608,848 and 4,770,020, which issued to the inventor of the subject application. The disclosures from both of the aforementioned patents are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference. The part forming apparatus taught in the foregoing patents constitutes a pressure transforming apparatus which creates a pressure zone for gradually forging the workpiece under pressure into a finished product. The workpiece is transported from from a die assembly and guided by a roller conveyor through the pressure zone of the part transforming apparatus in a given transport direction with the die assembly being pulled by a hydraulically operated drive mechanism. The roller conveyor is attached to a cable which is secured, in turn, through a pulley attached by brackets to a frame. The frame supports a pressure unit above a base member upon which the drive mechanism transporting the die assembly is mounted. A release station is used to release the die after passing through the pressure zone.
The subject invention constitutes a substantial improvement of the part forming apparatus taught in the aforementioned patents of the subject inventor in the construction of the forging press and in the system of the subject invention. The subject invention controls the build up of pressure generated between a male and female die as the die assembly is passed through the forging press to produce a finished part with no flashing.
The forging press and system of the present invention is less expensive to build, operate and maintain compared to conventional pressure forging presses in current use and compared to the part forming apparatus taught in the earlier aforementioned patents of the inventor of the subject invention. Moreover, the forging press and system of the present invention can be mounted at ground level without the necessity to construct a foundation below ground level to support the forging press. In addition, the forging press of the subject invention can forge metal parts free of voids, flaws and overlaps and without creating flash and/or waste. Accordingly, no machining of the forged part is necessary following the forging operation. Furthermore, the forging press and system of the present invention is able to fabricate a forged part of any desired length and is capable of forging longer parts than heretofore possible using conventional pressure forging systems.